Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has many common side effects.

Most side effects occur during treatment and begin to go away shortly after treatment ends. Others can last for months or even years.

How common and how severe the side effects are depend on the chemotherapy drugs used.

Learn about short-term side effects of chemotherapy.

Learn about long-term side effects of chemotherapy.

Easing worries about chemotherapy

It’s normal to worry about possible side effects of chemotherapy.

Talk with your health care provider about your concerns.

Your provider may be able to suggest a hospital social worker, patient navigator, psychologist or support group to help ease anxiety related to chemotherapy (or having breast cancer).

Learn more about support groups.

Managing side effects

Once you begin chemotherapy, let your oncologist or nurse know how the sessions are making you feel. They may be able to treat or prevent many side effects or change your treatment plan to reduce them.

Learn more about managing side effects of chemotherapy and other breast cancer treatments.

Susan G. Komen^® resources

If you’ve been recently diagnosed with breast cancer or feel too overwhelmed to know where to begin to gather information, Susan G. Komen® has a Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Chemotherapy and Side Effects resource that might help.

You can download, print and write on the resource at your next doctor’s appointment. Or you can download, type and save it on your computer, tablet or phone during a telehealth visit using an app such as Adobe. Plenty of space and a notes section are provided to jot down answers to the questions.

There are other Questions to Ask Your Doctor resources on many different breast cancer topics you may wish to download.

SUSAN G. KOMEN® SUPPORT RESOURCES

If you or a loved one needs more information about breast health or breast cancer, contact the Komen Breast Care Helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) or email helpline@komen.org. All calls are answered by a trained specialist or oncology social worker, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET. Se habla español. Komen Patient Navigators can help guide you through the health care system as you go through a breast cancer diagnosis. They can help to remove barriers to high-quality breast care. For example, they can help you with insurance, local resources, communication with health care providers and more. Call the Komen Breast Care Helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) or email helpline@komen.org to learn more about our Patient Navigator program, including eligibility. Komen Facebook groups provide a place where those with a connection to breast cancer can share their experiences and build strong relationships with each other. Visit Facebook and search for “Komen Breast Cancer group” or “Komen Metastatic Breast Cancer group” to request to join one of our closed groups. Our fact sheets, booklets and other education materials offer additional information.